Preview: Dayton Flyers at Western Michigan Broncos

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Interstat) — The Dayton Flyers and Western Michigan Broncos will look to build momentum from weekend victories when they meet in a nonconference women’s basketball game Thursday night at University Arena.

Dayton (5-5) snapped a two-game skid with an 81-72 win over Long Island on Dec. 7 but is coming off a lopsided 80-43 road loss at Purdue on Sunday. The Flyers have struggled offensively in their losses, averaging just 51.8 points in their five defeats compared to 72.4 in their wins.

A player to watch for the Flyers is Molly O’Riordan, who led the team with seven points in the loss to Purdue. She also scored 11 points in 12 minutes off the bench in the win over Long Island, showing her potential as a scoring spark.

Western Michigan (3-5) has won two straight, including a 58-48 home victory over Valparaiso on Sunday. The Broncos’ defense has keyed the streak, holding Loyola Chicago and Valparaiso to a combined 93 points.

Broncos guard Nile Muguira Orbe has been a steady presence during the run, averaging 8.5 points and 3.0 assists in the two wins. She logged 29 minutes in each contest and added a key defensive presence.

The matchup pits Dayton’s Atlantic 10 schedule against Western Michigan’s Mid-American Conference slate. Both teams are seeking consistency before entering their respective conference gauntlets in January.

For Dayton, Nicole Stephens, who had nine points against Purdue, and Kamryn Grant will need to provide supplemental scoring. Western Michigan will rely on Mary Clare Brusek, who poured in a team-high 14 points against Valparaiso.

The game is the final nonconference tune-up for Western Michigan before a daunting trip to Ohio State on Monday. Dayton hosts Evansville on Sunday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.